Voicemails are worth big bucks these days, especially if you’ve been targeted by harassing or unwanted calls.

Here’s the 411:

In the recent, high profile case of Osorio v. State Farm, a federal court ruled that State Farm Insurance broke the law when it continued to make debt collection calls after the plaintiff specifically asked the company to stop calling.  The judgement? Up to $1,500 per unwanted call.  Yes, per call.  Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, it is illegal for any company, including a debt collection agency, to call you unless you have given the company explicit permission to do so.  So the next time you receive a call from a debt collection agency, pick up the call and ask them to stop calling.

Where to go if they don’t stop:

If you find yourself in a situation where the caller won’t stop calling or leaving voicemails you have two choices:

1)    Speak to a Consumer Law Attorney

2)    File a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau using this link.

Save the Evidence:

Remember, evidence is crucial to substantiating your complaint: You can record each incoming call with an app or a product like RecordiaPro but then that requires you to pick up and engage with the caller.

Save your Voicemails:

We have a better idea:  Just use the voicemails left by the collection agency!  Voicemails Forever provides an easy way to permanently save any voicemail from any phone- including iPhones, smart phones, landlines and cell phones as an mp3 file.  The voicemails can then be saved to a CD or shared with your attorney through E-mail.

Voicemails can really add up so make sure you save every single one as they come in and transfer them quickly to your computer for safe keeping.

We usually reserve the term “treasured voicemails” for things like this and that but I think we can all thank the US Circuit court for giving the term a whole new meaning.  Now, go find those voicemails!